Former NHL Standout Darren McCarty To Make Special Appearance; Books Will Be Available For Purchase

Big Rapids, Mich. - Former Detroit Red Wings' standout Darren McCarty will make a special appearance in Big Rapids this Friday (Jan. 10) as the nationally third-ranked Ferris State University men's ice hockey team returns to home ice to resume Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) action.

McCarty will be in attendance for the series' opener on Friday (Jan. 10) evening against the Michigan Tech Huskies for a book signing and autograph session to promote his new book "My Last Fight: The True Story of a Hockey Rock Star". As a member of four Red Wings' Stanley Cup title teams, McCarty played the role of enforcer for much of the last two decades and teamed up with Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby to form the "Grind Line".

As part of the night's events, McCarty will begin signing autographs in the pro shop of the Ewigleben Ice Arena at 5:45 p.m. (ET). The signed book will be available for purchase for $35 and he will also sign one additional item per person. The cost for those seeking autographs on a personal item without purchasing the book will be $10 each. Ferris State and hockey merchandise will be available for purchase in the pro shop.

"This book is something I'm proud of and it has received a great response," said McCarty. "I'm happy to come out to Big Rpaids and a big hockey community this Friday and I hope people enjoy the book and come out for the visit. We'll have a bunch of books for sale and it will be nice to see some folks in the Big Rapids area."

Single-game tickets only remain for Friday's (Jan. 10) series opener against MTU at the Ewigleben Ice Arena. Saturday's series' finale is currently sold out. Standing-room only tickets may be available for both games via walk up sales only. If available, standing room only tickets would go on sale at or near game time.

The puck is set to drop on both Friday and Saturday nights at 7:07 p.m. (ET) as the Bulldogs square off against the Huskies for the first time since 1995 as part of what many expect will be one of the top WCHA rivalries in years to come.

McCarty played all but two of his 15 NHL seasons with the Red Wings, scoring 127 goals and recording 1,477 penalty minutes in his career. In his memoir, the four-time Stanley Cup champion recounts some of his fondest memories as well as his personal struggles.

His book "My Last Fight" brings both laughter and tears to readers, and although some stories were more difficult than others for McCarty to share, he didn't shy away from anything, according to book excerpts. The publication contains 15 years of emotional memories and experiences on paper for the first time.

"We're looking forward to having the opportunity to resume WCHA play in front of our home fans and having one of the all-time greats in Darren McCarty in attendance will be a tremendous treat for the fans," said FSU head coach Bob Daniels. "This will be an extremely tough series against one of the traditional WCHA schools and having the Bulldog Nation behind us will provide a big boost as we begin the second half of conference play."

In addition to McCarty's special appearance, the Bulldogs will also hold a special "Dawg Pound Appreciation Night" on Friday that will include giveaways, a free postgame skate with Brutus, raffle prizes and more. The Ferris State University residence halls will be open for the weekend series.

The two weekend games represent the Bulldogs' first home action since mid-November.

Fans can purchase advance tickets for Friday's series opener until it is sold out and save over the normal gameday rates by visiting the FSU Athletics Ticket Office located inside the Ewigleben Sports Complex.

The ticket office is open Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. (ET) to 5 p.m. (ET) with extended hours on Wednesday until 7 p.m. (ET).

Bulldog fans can also purchase all regular-priced tickets in advance 24 hours a day, seven days a week online at StarTickets.com or by calling 1-800-585-3737.

A complete pricing structure and additional information is available online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com and can be found by visiting the "tickets" tab. All promotional ticket offers are only available in advance thru the FSU Athletics Ticket Office. For additional ticket information, please call (231) 591-2888.